The defending Class D state champs have proven that losing four seniors from last year's team wasn't a crippling factor.

"We definitely lost a few good runners last year,'' Baird said. "As a team we train hard. Our coach trained us hard. We had fun together. We had a lot of working out together with a true team spirit.''

Mount has to be considered one of the favorites at next week's state championships at Queensbury High School.

The Class A championship was nearly a carbon copy to last week's Orange County league meet. Warwick's Dan Peterson trailed three runners by the 2-mile mark and passed them all, this time catching Middletown's Alex Shodai by the top of the final straightaway. Peterson won in 15:51, five seconds ahead of Shodai and 14 seconds in front of Monroe-Woodbury's Jack Jibb.

"I did expect that but it was fun again,'' said Peterson, who is hoping for a top-15 finish at states. "I was actually questioning myself during the race this time. But I said I did it once and I should be able to do it again.''

Peterson's win helped spark Warwick — still stinging from a loss to Port Jervis last week — to a 41-65 win over Kingston. Warwick has won 13 titles in a row in Class A (2001-03, 2011-13) and Class AA (2004-10).

New Paltz's Lorenzo Mazzuca, the Mid-Hudson Athletic League champ, paced off the leaders in the Class B race and used a strong kick over the final 800 meters to win in 16:04.

"I knew the competition would be tough,'' he said. "It wouldn't have been a disappointment (to lose) but I knew I could do it.''

Port Jervis defended its Class B team title with a 27-45 win over Cornwall. Hans Zanger was second in 16:06 and Kobie Lane was third in 16:11.

"We knew (Cornwall) would give us a run for the money but we were pretty confident we would get the victory,'' Zanger said.

"This year was more nerve-wracking because we had to defend (the title),'' Lane said. "I think we did pretty good.''

The Class C finish turned into a three-man sprint. Spackenkill senior Sam Heraghty had the best finishing kick and won in 16:34, four seconds ahead of O'Neill's Anthony Pelella. Onteora's Rowan Cruickshank, last week's MHAL runner-up, was third in 16:42 and collapsed at the finish line following a week of battling the flu; his finish, though, helped spur Onteora (55) to a solid win over Tri-Valley (76) and O'Neill (77). It was Onteora's first title since winning Class B in 2004 and 2005.

"Knowing the team made it really amazing,'' Cruickshank said. "It took inspiration to get me to do it but it creates even more for what I am going to be able to accomplish later in life and what my teammates will be able to accomplish as a result.''